Umbrella holder



'April 21, 1959 W. THOMPSON UMBRELLA HOLDER Filed. Oct. 16, 1957 INVENTOR Thom v50 w WsZey MJ.

ATTORNEY United States Patent This invention relates to a combination holder for beach and lawn umbrellas and a server which. can be I used for supporting food and beverages.

More particularly, it is an aim of the present invention to provide a novelholder of extremely simple construction which may be effectively utilized for holding large beach and lawn umbrellas in an upright position, for overcoming the difficulties encountered in attempting to embed the lower end of the staff of such an umbrella in the ground and anchored sufliciently so that the umbrella will not be readily blown over.

Still a further object of the invention is to provide a tray for use with the umbrella holder and which is retained in position above the holder and supported thereby through engagement of the umbrella staff with the serving tray and holder, so that the staff functions to mount the tray detachably on the holder and to prevent rocking movement of the tray relative to the holder.

Various other objects and advantages of the invention will hereinafter become more fully apparent from the following description of the drawing, illustrating a presently preferred embodiment thereof, and wherein:

Figure 1 is a side elevational view showing the assembled holder and server in an applied position with an umbrella supported by the holder in a position to retain the serving tray thereon;

Figure 2 is an enlarged top plan view of the holder, with the umbrella removed therefrom and with the serving tray shown in phantom lines;

Figure 3 is an enlarged fragmentary vertical sectional view taken substantially along a plane as indicated by the line 3--3 of Figure 1;

Figures 4 and 5 are enlarged fragmentary sectional views, taken substantially along planes as indicated by the lines 44 and 5-5, respectively, of Figure 2, and

Figure 6 is a top plan view of one of the holder anchoring stakes.

Referring more specifically to the drawing, the combination server and umbrella holder in its entirety is designated generally 8 and includes a holder, designated generally 9, and a server or tray, designated generally 10.

The holder 9 includes a body member, designated generally 11, formed of a single piece of heavy gauge sheet metal having corresponding end portions forming elongated substantially coplanar flanges 12 and 13. The body portion 11 includes corresponding walls 14 and forming upwardly extending inwardly inclined extensions of the inner edges of the flanges 12 and 13, respectively. Said inclined walls 14 and 15 taper in Width toward their upper ends, as illustrated in Figures 1 and 2. The body member 11 also includes a substantially square intermediate portion 16 constituting the top of the holder 9 and which extends between and is supported by the upper ends of the walls 14 and 15, and which is formed integral therewith. Said top wall 16 is disposed substantially parallel to the flanges 12 and 13 and is provided with a central opening 17. The outer edges and ends of the flanges 2,883,247 Patented Apr. 21, 1959 "ice 12 and13 are rolled upwardly and inwardly, as seen at 18, andthe exposed edges of the walls 14 and 15 and the top. wall 16 are rolled downwardly and inwardly, as seen at 19. The flanges 12 and 13 are each provided with longitudinally spaced openings 201 The holder 9 also includes a brace 21 which is also preferably formed from a single piece of heavy gauge sheet metal and which extends between lowerportions of the sidewalls 14 and 15 and has downwardly inclined end portions 22 which bear against portions of the inner sides of the walls 14 and 15 and which are secured immovably thereto by fastenings 23. The brace 21' retains the various parts of the holder 9 rigid with respect to one another and is provided with a central opening 24 of the same size as the opening 17 and which is disposed in vertical alignment therewith.

The serving tray 10 is preferablysubstantially rectangular. Said tray 10 is relatively shallow and includes a substantially flat bottom 25' and an upstanding surrounding wall 26. The surrounding wall 26 has an inwardly rolled bead 27. The tray bottom 25 has a central opening 28 which is somewhat larger than the opening 17 and which is downwardly flared. A tube 29 has a flared lower end 30 which fits snugly in the opening 28 and which is held thereby against upward displacement. The tube 29 is secured immovably to the tray bottom 25 in any suitable manner, as by Welding as seen at 31. The flared lower end 30 is disposed flush with the underside of the bottom 25 and said tube 29 extends upwardly from the tray bottom and has an internal diameter corresponding with the diameter of the openings 17 and 24.

The flanges 12 and 13 are adapted to rest on the ground, as seen at 32 in Figures 1 and 3 and the holder 9 is anchored in position by relatively long stakes 33 which are driven downwardly through the openings 20 of the flanges 12 and 13 so that said stakes can be embedded securely in either earth or sand. The stakes 33 have relatively large heads 34 at their upper ends, the flat lundersides 35 of which rest flush on the flanges 12 and 13 to anchor the holder 9 immovably on the surface 32. The spike heads 34 are elongated and are each provided with an opening or bore 36 extending longitudinally therethrough and which is sized to receive a spike 33, so that each spike 33, 34 can be withdrawn from an anchored position in the ground by another spike 33, 34.

After the holder 9 has been secured in an anchored position, as previously described, the serving tray 10 is positioned on the top Wall 16 with the tube 29 in alignment with the opening 17. A staff or rod 37 of a lawn or beach umbrella 38 is then inserted downwardly through the tube 29, and the openings 17 and 24 and so that the lower end of the staff or rod 37 will rest on the ground 32. The umbrella 38 will thus be supported by the holder 9 in an upright position and will be prevented from being blown over by the wind. Additionally, the umbrella rod or stafi 37 will retain the serving tray 10 in a centered position on the top wall 16 of the holder While permitting said serving tray to be revolved but preventing the serving tray from being tilted. The serving tray can be conveniently employed for holding food and beverages in a position readily available to persons seated beneath the umbrella 38. It will thus be readily apparent that while the holder 9 functions to support the umbrella 38, the umbrella staff 37 cooperates with the holder 9, when applied thereto, for retaining the serving tray 10 in an operative position on the holder 9, as illustrated in the drawing.

Various modifications and changes are contemplated and may be resorted to, without departing from the function or scope of the invention as hereinafter defined by the appended claim.

I claim as my invention: A-n umbrella holder for lawn and beach umbrellas comprising a body member formed of a single piece of sheet metal havingend portions defining spaced substantially parallel coplanar flanges adapted to rest upon a supporting, surface corresponding walls forming upwardly projecting extensions of inner edges of said flanges, a top wall, constituting the intermediate portion of the sheet ing. between said walls, near the lower ends thereof, said brace having downturned ends disposed against the inner sides of portions of said-walls, fastenings securing said downturned brace ends tosaid walls, said brace having a central opening disposed in vertical alignment with the opening of said top wall, said openings being adapted to receive the rod of a lawn umbrella, the lower end of which is adapted to rest on the supporting surface of the holder, for maintaining the umbrella rod in an upright position, said flanges having spaced openings, and spikes extending downwardly through said flange openings and embedded in the supporting surface of the holder, said spikes including enlarged heads, said heads resting on said flanges when the spikes are driven to a fully embedded position, and said spike heads being elongated in a direction longitudinally of the flanges and each having a bore extending longitudinally therethrough, the bore of each spike head being adapted to receive the shank of another spike to facilitate removal of the anchored spikes.

References Cited in the fileof this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 877,423 Hess u Jan. 21, 1908 1,676,108 Novak July 3, 1928 1,735,879 Reynolds Nov. 19, 1929 1,736,117 Snook Nov. 19, 1929 1,936,428 Friesner Nov. 21, 1933 2,024,330 Bemis Dec. 17, 1935 2,531,867 Wur-dinger Nov. 28, 1950 2,601,007 Barbin Dec. 9, 1952 2,771,260 Thom Nov. 20, 1956 

